Written Testimony Provided By Harry E. Johnson, Sr.,
President Of The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS
THE HONORABLE SENATOR CRAIG THOMAS, CHAIRMAN JUNE 3, 2003

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee on National Parks, my name is Harry E. Johnson, Sr., and I am the President of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. On behalf of the Foundation I would like to thank the Chairman and the Members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify regarding Senate Bill 470, to extend the authority for the construction of a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall.

The building of a memorial to such a great American as Dr. King is a major undertaking of national importance. Our mission has always been clear and our resolve unyielding, due in part to the support of many across this great nation. I am pleased about the progress we have made to date.

The review and approval process for the Memorial involves hearings, public debates and if requested by select commissions, additional studies. The MLK Memorial Foundation has achieved many milestones on the path to building the Memorial, including the following:

• On November 12, 1996 President Clinton signed congressional legislation proposing the establishment of a Memorial in the District of Columbia to honor Dr. King.
• On July 16, 1998 the authorization to construct a memorial in Area I of the National Mall was granted by Congress and signed by President Clinton.
• On December 2, 1999 The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the memorial site on the National Mall.
• In May 2000 over 900 entries from 52 different countries around the world were received in response to the call for entries for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. International Design Competition in Washington, DC.
• On September 13, 2000 the MLK Memorial Foundation announced that ROMA Design Group, Inc. based in San Francisco, won the international design competition.
• In March 2001 the Foundation launched the quiet phase of the fundraising campaign. General Motors was the first major corporate sponsor.
• On April 18, 2002 the Commission of Fine Arts voted in favor of the proposed design for the MLK Memorial.
• In July 2002 Morgan Freeman donated his time to create a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA's) to raise awareness for the MLK Memorial. In addition, Freeman voluntarily spoke to the media about the Memorial, including participation in an on-line discussion on Washingtonpost.com.
• In November 2002 under the auspices of National Parks Service (NPS), the Foundation initiated the Environmental Assessment of the proposed site. A public scoping session was held in January 2003 and the public response was overwhelmingly positive.
• The Geotechnical Investigations are currently underway. Early reports (as of April 2003) have indicated that the structural foundations of the Memorial will extend 50 to 80 feet below the surface to support the Memorial.
• The MLK Foundation has also successfully partnered with individuals and organizations to raise awareness for the Memorial. For example, in May 2003, Senate Majority Leader Frist hosted the launch of the national media campaign developed by the Ad Council in collaboration with the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi. The PSAs feature Halle Berry and Al Roker.

The MLK Foundation has raised $25 million in pledges out of the estimated $100 million needed to build the Memorial. General Motors, Tommy Hilfiger and Bell South continue to support the MLK Memorial Project. Over the next two years, the Foundation will continue to raise the necessary funds needed to build the Memorial.

We have provided in our information package, a description of the concept of the winning submission and its salient features, the site plan, a report of contributions to date, and the project schedule. If this extension is approved, we feel certain that this will give us the time necessary to fund and build the memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, we sincerely appreciate having the opportunity to appear before you in support of this legislation. Together, we can make this dream of building a memorial to Dr. King a reality.